Washing machine support structure



Jan. 1, 1947. H. c. BOWEN 2,414,505

WASHING MACHINE SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed June 24, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

f/ev'zert C Bowen BY WWW Jan. 21, 194". H, c, BOWEN 2,414,506

WASHING MACHINE SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed June 24, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENIIWR.

Patented Jan. 21, 1941 WASHING MACHINE surronr smuc'runa Herbert C.Bowen, Cassopolls, Mich, assignor to'y Bendix Home Appliances, Inc,South Bend,

Ind., a corporation of Delaware w Application June 24, 194$,SerialNo.492,138

7 Claims. on. 243 26)} f y This invention relates to support structure.

In washing machines of the type wherein there is a centrifugingoperation to remove a major portion of the water from the clothes, itbecomes important to plovidemeansto prevent excessive vibration of themachine during the centrifuging process, which requires rotation of acentrifuge a washing machine I be set on a floor'wlthout bolting orotherwise positively securing-the machine to the floor.

1 a It is a further obiectto provide a washing matil unit at arelatively high speed-the weight distribution of whichissomewhatvariable because of the shiftable nature of theclothes loadcarried therein. t i

In the type of automatic washing machine described generally in UnitedStates Patents Nos.

2,165,884 and 2,173,603 a tub structure of .cylindrical shape ispositioned with its axis substanchine support structure which willallowlimited movement of the centrifuging unit'ln a generally horizontaldirection with provision of resistance to such horizontal movementsffective to reduce vibrations transmittedto a floor support, T

It is, another object to allow limited horizontal movement and to affordfrictional resistance to i such allowed horizontal movement and inaddition to add resilient restraint to vertical movement;

tially horizontal and has a rotating cylinder or a basket enclosed inthe tub, whichcylinder is perforated on its circumference and serves asa container for the clothes. On draining of the water from the tab, theperforated clothes cylinder is used as a centrifuge, the speed of theunit being increased materially over thewashing speed. As more fullydescribed inthe aforementioned Patent No. 2,165,884, if the cylinder isof proper diameter relative to the washing speed, a satisfactory washingof theclothes will result; and

also when the water isdrained from the tub, the

same speed of operation will cause the clothes to arrange themselves inrelatively uniform position around the inner circumference of thecylinder; and if the rate of rotation of thecylinder is then increasedto the centrifuging speed, the clothes will be in such position as toproduce, within limits, a distributed load, and consequently theout-of-balancecondition of the machine generallywill not be excessive.With such a machine it has been found necessary, however, when nospecial shock-absorbing or other mountings are provided, to bolt themachine to the supporting floor or platform, as otherwise even therelatively small out-of-balance load which may be encountered wouldcause the machine to move about on the floor'during the centrifugingoperation. The bolt-down requirement, although entirely satis- Figure5illustratesthe positionof :theparts of r The above and otherobjects ofthe invention will appear more fully from the following detaileddescription and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, and wherein:

Figure .1 is a front elevation of a washing machine, partly in section,showin the rangement of thesupport; l

Figure 21s a section taken on the line 2 -2-01 Fi u e l a 1 Figure 3 lsa view, partly in section, taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 1; 1 a

Figure 4 is a view, partly insection, taken on,

the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

a one of the ball and cup units shown in Figure 4 p when the movablepart o! the machine is in its maximum position toward the left, asviewed in the drawings; and s Figure ,6 is a view, similar to Figure 5,;illustrating the opposite or right-hand position of the movable part ofthe machine.

Referring to the drawings, an automatic washying' machine is shown whichishoused in acabinet factory in many installations, is an additionalinstallation factor, and, insome instances it is of importance that amachine-be availablewhich can be set on the floor in any room in thehome without the necessity of bolting the unitto the floor. p p

It is therefor the primary object of the, pres 'ent invention to providea support for a washing machine which will absorb the out-of-balancevibration in such, mannerthat the machine may Ill. The machine is of theso-called horizontalcylinder type and employs a cylindrical tub II with,a clothes cylinder l2 -mounted for rotation therein. Othermeanaincluding a motor I and a belt 8, are provided to rotate thisclothes cylinder at a, washing speed-and at a centrifuging speed. Thecylinder i2 is supported by bearings 9 secured in the tub at one endonly, theopposite end of the cylinder being open, as shown by theflanged opening 13 inFigure 3. A door.

I4 is? provided inthe front wall of the cabinet in, and as shownin thestructure used for illustration,,a flexible connectionor sleeve I5 isused to connect the outerwall of the cabinet with the wall of the. tub lI, thus making it necessary to h useonlyone door, in the outside of thecabinet,

and still allowrelative movement between the tub llrandthecabinet Ill.The tub, together with the rotating cylinder andotherparts, issupgeneral arported on a support frame structure ii; the other partsnecessary to drive the washing and. centrifuging cylinder are alsocarried on the same frame structure. ||i,.including motor I and belt 8.A soap door ll' may also be provided in thetop of the cabinet witha'suitable flexible connection l8 therefrom to the toplof the tub Asshown inFlgure 1, the support frame structure i6, together with the tubunit H and all parts carried thereby, is mounted on three ball cup unitsI9, each of these three ball cup units being made up of two metal cups2ll and 2|-between each of which a ballv 22 is positioned. It is apportmember or plate 23 in the bottom of 'the secured to the bottom of theframe structure ii. The curvature of the cups is a spherical radiuswhich for the machine illustrated has been constructedrasa4/a'inchnspherical radius on both upper and lower cups. Therefore, whenthe balls 22 are in position between these two oppositelydisposedcups,the frame" structure l6 and the parts it supports can move on the balls22, one

maximum ."position of such movement being showzrinxFigure 5 and theopposite, maximum position beingshownsin Figure 6. 1 :3 As best shown in*Figure" '4, there is a resilient memben-preferably a leaf spring 24;secured to "a bracket 25, which is in turn supported on the p e23carried'by the cabinet: Ill. The leaf r 24 has friction pads 28 and 21positioned at its ends, .these pads connecting metal plates .28 and 29.

retaining the leaf spring 24 are such that the The relative position ofthe parts spring holds thepads zli'and- 2lpositivelyagainst the plates.28 and 29, so that on horizontal movementof thevfra'me' structure I6 ontheball's 22 the movement will be resisted'by friction of the parent, onan inspection :of Figure 2,that the" lower-metal cups 2| are seeured ona second sub 5" cabinet in and that theuppermetal cups are of masssubstantially coincident with the axis of i rotation:

Duringthe washing operation the speed of rotation of the-cylinder H. isgenerally sufficiently slow so that there are no particularly importantvibrations set up which would be at all objectionable if the machinewere set on the floor without fastening. However; at centrifugingspeeds,

which are generally 300R. P. M. or greater, even with relatively goodclothes distribution which is usually accomplished'thereis a definitetendency for the unit to vibrate. With the structure above described,however, the vibration set-up will cause the unit to move back and forthon the'ball cup assembly in a relatively horizontal a direction themajor movement being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of therotatingclothes cylinder with limited movements allowed in otherdirections because of the spherical radii of the cups; and any tendencyof-the support frame II to ralseofi the ball cups is resilientlyresisted by'the leaf spring 24 and also the horizontal movement;regardless of tendency to lift up, will be resisted by the frictionalcontact of thepads 28' and 21, as previously mentioned. It will be thetendency of a load which is off center in the rotating cylinder toproduce a movement which will tend torequire the cylinder to have aresultant movement about its center of mass as .diStinguished from itscenter of rotation. It is not-possible, however, with the mounting shownherein for this result to be accomplished, as the pads'28 and 21 on theplates 28 and 29, and any upward movement of the frame assembly off theIt is preferable that the mass of theportion of the tub structure and ofthe frame structure in the region of the cylinder be substantiallygreater, and preferably on the order of about four times greater,thanthatiof the clothes loading.

plus the'water which maybe carried in the-cylinder at the timecentrifuging begins; and to accomplish'this resultauxiliary weights 3|and 32 are positioned preferably on the outside wall of the tub"tration, the total'of these auxiliary weights is about 120 pounds. Ithas also been found pref- In the "installation used for illuserablethatthese weights be positioned and selected as" to size so thatthecenter of mass of the 'entire body carried by the frame structurev Itshall substantially coincide with the axis of rotation of the rotatingcylinder l2.

It is apparent on reference to Figurel that in order to compensate forthe weight of the drivingmotor-l and the frame] It below the axis ofrotation .and tobring'the center of mass closer to'the axis of rotation,it would be necessary to have some weight added above a horizontal linethrough the-axis of rotation of the rotor 12.. In

order to accomplish this-purpose the weight 3| may be added in the upperleft-hand quadrant, the exact weights and position, being determined bycomputation on consideration of the-various weights involved and bytaking moments about any fixed point. It will be foundalso that weight32in the lower right-hand quadrant as shown in balls 22 will also beresisted by the resilience of the spring 24.

in contact with said support frame.

freedom of movement aiforded'by the rise in the ball cup radius isr'elativelys'mall and, the horizontal movement is'predominant;therefore, to

this extent the mounting is a compromise over resilient mountings whichallowfreedom in all "directions with suitable snubbing. The tendency ofthe unit to lift vertically in the device herein disclosedi'scounteracted by its mass and also by "the high center .of weight of themovable unit 2 produced by the positioning of auxiliary weights 3| and32, and further by the resistance to verticalmovementafforded by thespring 24.

Although my invention has been described by reference to a sp'ecificstructure used for illustration, it'isunderstood that modifications maybe made therein without departing from 'the, 55.

fundamental principles herein set forth; and such modifications areintended within thefscope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

' 1.' Incombination, a-support frame, awashing machine centrifuge unitmounted, for rotation on said support frame, a second support memb rpositioned "under said support frame, a' plurality i of cups secured tosaid supportframe, a plurality of cups secured to'said second supportmember positioned to form cooperating pairs of cups; rolling meansbetween each said pair of cooperating cups for allowing relativemovement betweensaid support frame and saidsecond supportmember,'friction pads positioned to contact said support. member therebyto produce frictional resistance against said movemenh'and a resilientmember for holding said friction pads 2. In combination withfa washingmachine structure employing a centrifuging member rotatable in asubstantially horizontal position, a support frame for said centrifugingmember, means to allow limited movement of said rotatable memberhorizontally comprising cooperating spherical radius concave members,intermediate rolling members between said cooperating concave members,and a resiliently mounted friction contacting member positioned tocontact said support frame thereby to frictionally resist saidhorizontal movement.

3. In combination with a washing machine structure employing acentrifuge unit mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis,a support frame for said centrifuge unit, a second support, cooperatingsliding members between said support frame and said second supportallowing relative horizontal movement of said centrifuge unit and saidsupport frame relative to said second support, a resilient restrainingmember mounted in position for frictional contact with said supportframe thereby to resist said horizontal movement and positioned also torestrain the vertical movements of said support frame induced by saidcentrifuge unit.

4. In combination with a washing machine structure employing acentrifuge unit mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis,

a support frame, connections to said support frame allowing limitedhorizontal movement, and a resilient member having a frictional portioncontacting a surface'on said support frame in a horizontal plane tofrictionally resist horizontal movement and positioned with saidfrictional contacting portion above said surface in such relation tosaid support frame as to afford resilient resistance to verticalmovement of said frame.

5. In a combination with a washing machine structure, a support frameassembly including a centrifuging unit structure with motor drivingmeans therefor mounted on said support frame, said support frameassembly and centrifuging 6 .unit being'so constructed as to have acenter of mass substantially coincident with the axis of rotation ofsaid centrifuging unit and having a mass of such amount that the masssupported on said frame is at least four times greater than the mass ofthe washing load intended to be operated on in said centrifuging unit,connections port member positioned under said support frame, cooperatingrolling members between said support frame and said second supportmember allowing movement of said centrifuging unit and said supportframe relative to said second support in a definite path predominantlyin the horizontal direction in a plane substantially at right angles tothe axis of rotation of said centrifuge unit, and a resilientrestraining member mounted in position for frictional contact with saidsupport frame.

7. In combination with a washing machine structure employing acentrifuge unit mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis,a support frame for said centrifuge, a second support member positionedunder said support frame, cooperating rolling members between saidsupport frame and said second support member allowing movement of saidcentrifuge unit and said support frame relative to said second supportin a definite path in a plane substantially at right angles to the axisof rotation of said centrifuge unit, and a resilient restraining membermounted in position for frictional contact with said support frame.

HERBERT C. BOWEN.

